Shop Small is a monthly series highlighting small business owners from diverse backgrounds. This series aims to go deeper than your typical product roundup, diving into the inspirational stories behind some of our favorite brands. By taking a behind-the-scenes look at how their shops came to be and highlighting the products they (and their shoppers!) love, we hope to put a deserving spotlight on these business owners.
If you’ve experienced a tinge of digital overload lately, you might be craving an analog hobby—and Jasmin Foster can help. The Indianapolis native launched her lifestyle brand, Be Rooted, in 2020 after realizing people were craving a sense of connection.
Foster, a former senior buyer at Target, was also keen on launching products that reflected the many different facets of Black women, like herself. Think everything from a wellness planner depicting a Black woman meditating to a colorful puzzle showcasing a Black woman surrounded by lush plants.
With just $2,000, no brand logo, and a website she built from scratch, Be Rooted was born. “I wanted Be Rooted to be a company where Black women could feel seen and celebrated, and inspired by products they get to carry around in their everyday life,” Foster says.
Here, Foster shares about Be Rooted’s early days, bestsellers, and plans to broaden its product offerings.
What inspired you to launch Be Rooted in 2020? Previously, you were a senior buyer at Target.
I spent over a decade in corporate environments, convincing people why all product assortments didn't work for everyone. I tried to explain the need to develop specific assortments for different communities, because we all have different needs.
While working in the multicultural beauty space at Target, I met some of the amazing Black founders in that space. After that experience and launching more than 30 Black-owned brands at Target, I was bitten by the entrepreneur bug.
Then, at the beginning of 2020, I had a demanding job and needed a creative outlet. I had been sitting on the idea of building a lifestyle brand that was rooted in culture and connected to Black women. I wanted Be Rooted to be a company where Black women could feel seen and celebrated, and inspired by products they get to carry around in their everyday life. I wanted it to be a place that allowed us to practice self-care in traditional ways, but also in ways that looked a little bit different.
How much time did you give yourself to launch the business?
I had a goal to launch in six months. By June of 2020, I had no clue that COVID, the death of George Floyd, and all these things were going to happen right when I was launching the brand. It felt like a time where people needed a space to connect back to themselves. It was this perfect storm of being a solution for people who were looking for a little bit of calm amidst the storm.
Explore Be Rooted’s Products
Whether it’s journals or wellness planners, you take pride in Be Rooted’s lively art and employ a team of all-Black designers. Why is this important to you?
From the beginning, I was clear about what I wanted the products to be. I wanted our products to be a love letter to Black women, showcasing our different skin tones, hair types, body types, fashion, and our language. I was intentional about all of that and having bold, bright colors. Oftentimes, what you see as mainstream is a bit more muted.
I was also really intentional with the team that we were developing. We wanted the team to be reflective of the community we are serving. When I say I want a girl who has box braids, when I say I want a girl who has Bantu knots, when I say I want a girl who has a short pixie, I don't have to over-explain what that means.
What are some of the company’s bestsellers?
Journals will always be our North Star, but puzzles have, surprisingly, been a new strong category for us. Two years ago, we tested puzzles, as people are going back to this analog world and hobby culture was trending again. I thought about products that allow us to explore art in a different way and be able to storytell a bit more than we do with our journals.
There aren’t many puzzle companies playing in the space we're playing in, showing Black women with humanity in everyday settings. It's high quality and soft-touch finishing on everything. It’s an activity you can do by yourself or bring your family into the fold.
Ladies Who Brunch is our number one puzzle. It's just four girlfriends with champagne in their hand having brunch. Everyone can relate to that, but normally, you might see Black and Brown women sitting on an HBCU [historically Black college and universities] campus. We're educated, but we also paint. We garden. We get pastries at the coffee shop. We travel. We do all the things.
What’s on the horizon for Be Rooted?
As we approach this holiday season, we'll be launching Christmas gift bags, tissue paper, and gift card holders. One thing that makes our brand special is that it’s not only a brand people want for themselves, but one they find special enough to give to others.
